Dr. Amanda Paulovich is a leader in proteomics, the study of proteins — the cell’s workhorse molecules. Due to a lack of tools, proteomics has lagged behind the study of genes, which provide the blueprints for proteins. And just as a blueprint can’t tell you everything about a finished house, our genetic blueprint only reveals part of the biological picture. By developing powerful protein-measuring tools, Dr. Paulovich helps to fill in this picture and open the door to treatments tailored to individual cancer patients.
Her team has spearheaded the development of assays that use a technique called multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, or MRM-MS, to detect and precisely measure the amount of a particular protein. This technology will help researchers combine detailed information about proteins with genetic data to learn, for instance, which genetic mutations drive a cancer’s development and suggest new therapeutic targets.
Director, Clinical Research Proteomics Platform
Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine
Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology
University of Washington School of Medicine
Associate Faculty Member, Molecular and Cellular Biology Program
University of Washington
